Cattywampus

by Ash Van Otterloo (Author)

Reading Level: 6th − 7th Grade

The magical story of a hex that goes haywire, and the power of friendship to set things right!In the town of Howler's Hollow, conjuring magic is strictly off-limits.

Only nothing makes Delpha McGill's skin crawl more than rules. So when she finds her family's secret book of hexes, she's itching to use it to banish her mama's money troubles. She just has to keep it quieter than a church mouse -- not exactly Delpha's specialty.Trouble is, Katybird Hearn is hankering to get her hands on the spell book, too. The daughter of a rival witching family, Katy has reasons of her own for wanting to learn forbidden magic, and she's not going to let an age-old feud or Delpha's contrary ways stop her.

But their quarrel accidentally unleashes a hex so heinous it resurrects a graveyard full of angry Hearn and McGill ancestors bent on total destruction. If Delpha and Katy want to reverse the spell in time to save everyone in the Hollow from rampaging zombies, they'll need to mend fences and work together.

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Review quotes

An Indies Next pick

An Indies Introduce pick

Deftly weaving elements of magic and nature with a story of adolescent change, debut author Van Otterloo conjures a timeless contemporary fantasy. — Publishers Weekly

A spirited debut. — Kirkus Reviews

Lively and entertaining! Ash Van Otterloo delivers spooky fun and an essential new kid-lit character in this spirited debut. — Ingrid Law, Newbery Honor-winning author of Savvy

Cattywampus is a Southern yarn in all the best ways — it's warm and welcoming and promises you a wild ride. You'll want to settle into this story and stay awhile. — Erica Waters, author of Ghost Wood Song

It is southern, witchy, magical fun about friends and family and the histories that connect us and haunt us. The dialogue is fireworks... The subtle creepiness won't scare you (too bad), but the vibrant, beating heart of this story will haunt you for a good long time. — Natalie Lloyd, New York Times bestselling author of A Snicker of Magic

Ash Van Otterloo
Ash Van Otterloo is the author of Cattywampus. When they're not writing and freelance editing, they love gardening, hiking, exchanging playful banter, and collecting folklore stories. A longtime resident of the foothills of the Smoky Mountains, they now live in Washington with their family and an enormous collection of plants.
Classification
-
ISBN-13
9781338561609
Lexile Measure
810
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Scholastic Press
Publication date
February 01, 2022
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV039060 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Friendship
JUV037000 - Juvenile Fiction | Fantasy & Magic
JUV013000 - Juvenile Fiction | Family | General
Library of Congress categories
Friendship
Magic
Witches
Zombies
Appalachian Region
Grimoires

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